substandlesubsta substanceless individuals. they know a lot about a lot of things. if they are trying to reach out to voters -- >> let's remember would things. one, head flood the debates. you know. three presidential, one have theal. whole month will be locked with issues and serious things. number two, isn't it interest the way foreign policy has now become critical to this election. >> "cnn newsroom with carol costello" begins right now. happening now, tension in the gulf, iran claiming overnight that it test fired four miss designed to hit war ships. u.s. navy on guard watching iran's next moves. controversial view. the white house defending president obama's appearance on the daytime talk show. republicans saying that he's choosing showbiz over foreign policy. obama sending hillary clinton to

the u.n. for face-to-face meetings. seattle stunner. the call everyone is talking about this morning. packers/seahawks. clock ticking. then this happened. >> who did they give it to? touchdown! >> oh. two refs, two different calls. and one huge upset. $200 million refund. if you have a discover card you may be getting cash back. the feds saying the bank tricked people into signing up for payment protection plans. we are watching "your m ing you. "newsroom" starts right now. good morning. thank you so much for joining us. i'm carol costello. we begin with that breaking news from the persian gulf. iran has reportedly test fired anti-ship missiles in the waters off of the southern coast. iran regularly holds such drills. both to test the military

readiness as well as showcase it to the world. this video is from a similar test back in january. this maneuver is significant. possibly troubling for several reasons. i will tell you why. according to an iranian news agency the drill was close to naval exercises in the persian gulf. the test comes amidst spiking tensions with israel and mutual threats of military action and it comes at o a day when president obama and republican no, ma'am me mitt romney ring delivering key speeches on u.s. foreign policy. ing in fact, mr. romney is about to speak in minutes. governor romney spent yesterday attacking mr. obama for international crises from the killing of americans in libya to the anti-american uprising in much of the muslim world. is this missile test a new talking point? the former chief speechwriter for george w. bush and his defense secretary donald rumsfeld. he joins us from the american enterprise institute in wash where he writes on foreign policy and defense issues.

good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i'm good. thank you so much for joining us. this is a chance for mr. romney to look presidential at a time when polls show strong support for mr. obama's foreign policy is slipping. you are a former speechwriter. what does governor romney need to say today? >> well, it is interesting because president obama -- just a few weeks ago president obama was boasting about his foreign policy achievements and mocking mitt romney for how little foreign policy experience he has. it is a difference what a couple of weeks makes. as you point out the polls show the support for president obama's foreign policy is dropping particularly among independents. "wall street journal" poll in august showed that they supported obama's porn policy -- approved by a margin -- foreign policy approved by a margin of four points. it has become a central issue in this campaign and not hard to see why the support is following.

the middle east is on fire. american ambassador killed in libya and -- who -- and administration is not only -- has spent days denying it was a terrorist attack but attacked you on cnn when you reported that it was a terrorist attack and the ambassador wasn't worried about an al qaeda attack on his life. you have the flag of the united states being torn down from embassies across the middle east and replaced over sovereign u.s. territory with the flag of al qaeda. you have tens of thousands of people being killed in syria and the administration is doing 234 nothing about it. looks like tehran, 1979, across the middle east. >> that's what many republicans are saying. the democrats and some republicans say governor romney stumbled badly when he criticized mr. obama after the death of the u.s. ambassador to libya. in the end, could you argue that romney's tactic proves successful? it did change the conversation. at least about libya. >> yeah. find it -- fascinating that so many people are talking about romney had a gaffe. it turns out he was right. that one that it was wrong to

put pout an n a statement -- criticizing the -- apologizing for the video which the administration continued to do and obama will do again today in his u.n. speech. but also, you know, who had the foreign policy gaffes? it has been president obama. president obama went on "60 minutes" and called what's happening in the middle east bumps in the road. first ambassador killed since 1979 is a bum open the rop on t? >> mr. obama came back and said bumps in the road meant there is going to be problems in the middle east you have to deal with. >> i'm sure -- >> i'm just trying to be fair. >> i'm sure he tried to spin it. well, no. i mean, the thing is no one is fair when mitt romney supposedly makes a gaffe that turns out not to be a gaffe. when president obama says something like that, everybody is busy explaining it away. this was a major foreign policy gaffe. that same interview, he said that israel -- complaints from israel were just noise. referred to israel's complaints about iran, nuclear program in new york now. he has time to go on "the view"

but can't meet with binyamin netanyahu? >> governor romney is about to speak before the clinton global initiative. audience is full of fleleaders m around the world. people that can effect change to the world. what should mr. romney say to prove to no only them but to voters that he can handle foreign apairs and he does have the answer to the problems you are talking about? specifics. should he mention specific? >> i think he's actually putting forward specifics today. he is laying out a vision for major reform of u.s. foreign aid to take -- he's going to put condition -- u.s. foreign aid to countries on their opening up their markets and moving barriers to trade and in investment and making free market reform. i think he will lay out a positive vision today. again, i know we are talking about mr. romney. but whenever mr. -- whenever mitt romney supposedly makes a gaffe, that whole trip to the -- israel everybody said what a gaffe fest it was, he didn't make any gaffes. he called israel the capital of

jerusalem which by u.s. law it is. when president obama comes out -- >> let's talk specifics about mr. romney's speech. he about to speak in a few minutes. we got a few excerpts from his speech. he will talk about his vision to bring our foreign assistance strategy into the 21st century and harness the power of free enter police to spur development. a very kind of businessy speech. should there be more passion? >> i think he has plenty of passion. you saw a lot of passion yesterday when he was talking about president obama's bumps on the road comment. he brought a lot of passion to this. this is a different forum. he is being hosted by a man that endorsed his opponent. it is not a campaign rally. it is -- this will be a substantive speech laying out a clear vision and i think he will look very presidential. i think he has a very serious proposal he is putting forward. and -- we are going to see him -- i don't think you are going to see a lot of direct hits on president obama the way you did yesterday in this

speech. just as president obama is going to give a speech and a lot to testify for what he will say at the u.n. general assembly today. >> had will this kind of speech, though,s are mate with voters out there? it may resonate with the audience. will it resonate with voters? i'm sure that's on governor romney's mind, too. >> sure. well, you know, one of the things i think you are going to see him doing today is trying to pivot this debate about foreign policy back to jobs and trade and opportunity. i think he will make the argument that when we -- when our aid program should be built towards developing free market partners around the world, helping -- nations and embrace the free market and embrace trade. that in the long run helps american prosperity and creates jobs here at home. the man who is hosting him, president clinton, when he came into office, one of the first things bill clinton did was join with republicans to pass the north american free trade agreement over the objections of democrats. he worked with -- got a majority of republicans and minority of democrats in a coal toygs pass that p president obama has not passed a single free trade agreement of his own making

since coming into office. i think you will see a subtle distinction between drawn. >> what do you mean of his own making? because he has -- trade issues dealing with colombia. that one comes immediate will to my mind. >> all of those were negotiated by president bush. he's not -- not -- signed -- >> president obama doesn't get any credit for pushing that through congress? which has been difficult. >> some credit for it but like he dragged his feet on it. he had to be pushed into it. when president clinton came into office, he actually had a -- his first months in office, he invited former president bush, former president ford, former president carter, former presidents, to the white house to stand together and say let's pass the north american free trade agreement. president obama didn't deposit that. president obama didn't make this a priority. he certainly -- president clinton challenged protectionists in his own party from the white house saying that don't stand in the way of prosperity. you have never seen president obama challenge his own party in that way. i think -- bill clinton was a

champion of free trade. barack obama has been a reluctant supporter of free trade agreements that already were approved -- already in place before he came into office and he hasn't come up with any of his own. >> we are going to move on to other news. stick around, mark, because -- governor romney is a little late in starting his speech. we want to get your impressions. three hours from now president obama will speak at the clinton global initiative. first he will address delegates and other world leaders. the president -- will be speaking in an hour. he is expected to challenge the world to confront what's causing muslim rage and he will tell world leaders the united states will do what it must to prevent iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. in an excerpt from the president, president obama's prepared remarks, he specifically mentions the violence in libya saying, quote, there are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. there is no video that justifies an attack on an american consulate building or embassy.

will is no land their provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in lebanon or cause death and destruction in pakistan. the president will begin speaking in two hours here at the global clinton initiative but will be speaking in the next hour of "newsroom" before leaders gathering for the united nations general assembly. i know this pales in light of what is happening in new york right now. but it is what much of america is talking about. green bay and the catch that was or wasn't. the nfl's replacement refs have been under scrutiny. this was decided on a very controversial touchdown. they both come down with the ball at the end of the game. there you see it. in tend they are award ad touchdown. many believe generali inbelief

received the touchdown. >> don't ask me a question about the officials. i have never seen anything like that in all my years in football. >> look at the replay. the fact that it was reviewed. that was awful. that's all i can say about it. >> as you may imagine this is getting huge reaction on social media. packers guard t.j. lang tweeted just got -- by the nfl. nfl, come on, man. can't even be upset anymore. all i can do is laugh. laugh at the nfl for allowing america's game to come to this. wow. much more later in the newsroom. for the second time in a week, atlanta falcons football player has been arrested. falcons defensive end john abraham was accused of obstructing police and firefighters at the scene of an attempted suicide last night. investigators say he refused

orders to leave. the victim, the woman did not jump and was taken to the hospital just last week running back michael turner was arrested on dui charges. will you see governor romney coming out. bill clinton introducing him. >> good morning. i want to begin by thanking governor romney for coming here today. i think this is really important. all of you who are there last night know if we can't find ways to cooperate over these issues, we can't find it anywhere. this is really important. and i -- thought i would introduce him by giving you an example of one personal experience we thing together. when i passed the americorps legislation and signed it through congress, the model for me was a program based in boston called city year which -- a lot of you know about it. it is a great program.

when i left the white house, there was some discussion about whether americorps would be defunded and by that time, the largest affiliate in the united states was city. and the governor of massachusetts, mitt romney, was on the board. and september me a letter -- michael brown is nodding his head. sent me a letter saying with 49 other -- 48 other governors, we should continue this. this is important. so i called him. i was out of the white house. i said, governor, that's what americorps is all about. i hope you will help me save it. and he urged the republican congress to continue to support it and urged the white house. the youth unemployment rate exceeds 40%. but 80% of the city volunteers

in johannesburg have a job the day they leave. it turns out to be good economics as well as good for the society. all of you should know that and i wanted you to know it. and, governor, i thank you for being here. the podium is yours. >> thank you, mr. president. >> thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you, mr. president. it is an honor to be here this morning. you appreciate your kind words. and that introduction is very touching. if there is one thing we have learned in this election season, by the way, it is that a few words from bill clinton can do a man a lot of good. [ applause ] all i have to do now is wait a couple of days to wait for that

bounce to happen. as you know, since serving as president, president clinton has devoted himself to lifting people around the world. one of the best things that can happen to any cause, to any people, is to have bill clinton as its advocate. that's really true for a whole series of causes but particularly important the needy and neglected causes. if he gets behind them and makes a -- makes a real difference. it is that kind of work that brings us here together today. i appreciate your willingness to spend time and to listen to those that are coming with their messages. there are a number of things that impress me about the global initiative. one is that -- as i have seen it from afar i have been impressed by the extraordinary power that you have derived by harnessing together people of different backgrounds and institutions of different backgrounds and purchase situations. you have been able to fashion partnerships, if you will, across the traditional boundaries, for profit, not for profit, charitable, commercial. a smaller scale, by the way, i have seen the power of the

partnerships like this work before. massachusetts, bill clinton spoke about city year. i have over here, michael brown, one of the founders. this was an effort where two social pioneers, michael and his friend alan casey, brought corporations and government together with volunteers to form this entity, and it was the model as the president said for americorps. and i -- i actually happened to be there at the first time he visited city year. he was there investigating the life-changing successes which were being reported in the lives of these young people that come together for a year of service. and as they were linked with corporate teams that worked with them. now i saw the power ofhese partnerships in 2002 when i was asked to be the head of the winter olympic games in salt lake city. i saw what happened when elements of a community were willing to join together in extraordinary unity. we were able to overcome challenges that many thought

would be impossible for an organization like ours to overcome. the clinton global initiative has also dem straighted the effe -- demonstrated social enterprise. endeavor to comfort and assuage the pains of the afflicted but also to change lives, change lives through freedom, through free enterprise, through entrepreneurship and to the incomparable dignity that's associated with work. preenterprise, as we know, has done more to bless humanity than any other economic system. not only because it is the only system that creates a prosperous middle class but also because it is the only system where the individual enjoys the freedom to guide and build his or her life. free enterprise can not only make us better off financially, it can make us better people. ours is a very compassionate nation, as you know.

you look around the world and we see withering suffering. our hearts break. would make up 4.5% of the world's population. we donate nearly a quarter of all global foreign aid. more than wise as much as any other nation on earth. and americans give more than money. pastors like rick warren lead mission trips that send thousands of americans around the world and bringing aid and comfort to the poorest places in the planet. american troops on the -- first on the scene of the natural disaster. an earthquake strikes, haiti and care packages come from all over the world but they come first from america and not for behind, presidents clinton and bush. too often our passion for charity as a people is tampered by our sense that our aid is not always effective. we see stories of cases where american aid has been diverted to corrupt governments.

we wonder why year after year after year of aid and relief seem to never extinguish the suffering and hardship. why it persists decade after decade. perhaps some of the disappointments are due to our failure to recognize just how much the developing world has changed. lot of the foreign aid efforts that we put in place years ago were designed at a time when government development assistance accounted for about 70% of the resources flowing to developing nations. today 82% of the resources that flow to developing nations come from the private sector. not the governmental sector. if somehow foreign aid can really leverage that massive investment by the private sector, it may be able to exponentially expand the ability to no only care for those that are suffering but also to change their lives in o a permanent basis. private enterprise is having a greater and greater impact actually on its own in the

developing world. example that john deere company embarked upon a pilot project in africa that it developed a suite of farm tools attached to a small tractor. they worked to expand the availability to farmers. the result has been a good investment for john deere and a greater opportunity for african farmers who are now able to grow more crops and provide for more plentiful lives of their own. for american foreign aid to become more effective, it's got to embrace the principles that you see in these global initiatives. the power of partnerships access to the transformative mate of free enterprise and the leverage of the abundant resources that can come from the private sector. now i believe that there are three quite legitimate objects of our foreign aid in this country. first, of course, address humanitarian needs. such as the case with pef far,

given to medical treatment to those suffering from hiv and aids. second is to foster a substantial united states strategic interest, perhaps as military or diplomatic or economic. but third, there is another purpose. one that i think has to receive much more attention and a much higher priority around the administration. and that is aid that elevates people and brings about lasting change in communities and nations. as an example, a lot of americans, including myself, are developed -- excuse me, troubled by developments in the middle east. syria has witnessed the killing of tens of thousands of people. the president of egypt is a member of the us will mihm brotherhood. our ambassador of libya was assassinated in an attack. we saw how we are at the mercy of events rather than shaping

events. i'm often asked why. what can we do about it to help lead the middle east to stability and ease suffering and aunger and the hate there, violence? obviously religious extremism is part of the problem. but that's not the whole story. the population of the middle east is very young, as you know, particularly in comparison with the population of the developed nations. and typically the young people as the president indicated a moment ago don't have a lot of job prospects. the levels of youth unemployment across the region are excessive and chronic. and nations that have undergone a change in leadership recently, young people have greater access to information and the past that was being carefully guarded by tyrants and dictators. but now it is available. they see the good as well as the bad in surrounding society. they can now organize across

vast regions, mobilizing populations, and idle hue mailated by poverty and crushed by government corruption, frustration and their anger grows. in such a setting, for americans to actually change lives, to change communities and nations in the middle east, foreign aid must also play a role. and the shape that role should play was brought into focus by the life and death of mohammed of tunisia, the street vendor. sparked the arab spring. you probably know the background. but it touched me. he was just 26 years old. he provided for his family since he was a very young boy. he worked a small fruit stand selling to passers-by. the regular harassment by corrupt bureaucrats was elevated one day when they came in and

took cases of his fruit and then took away his weighing scales, his only real capital equipment, away from him. on the day of his final protest, witnesses say an officer slapped him and he cried out with these words -- why are you doing this to me? i'm a simple person. i just want to work. i just want to work. work. that has to be at the heart of our effort to help people build economies that can create jobs, young and old alike. work build self-esteem. trance forms minds from fantasy and fanaticism to reality and grounding. work does not long tolerate corruption. nor will it quietly endure the brazen theft by government of the product of hard-working men and women. to foster worknd enterprise in

the middle east and other developing countries, i will initiate something i will call prosperity packs. working with the private sector, program will identify the barriers to investment and trade and entrepreneurship and entrepreneurialism in developing nations. and exchange for removing those barriers and opening mark totes u.s. investment and trade, the developing nations will receive u.s. assistance packages, focused on developing the institutions of liberty. the rule of law and property rights. focus our efforts on small and medium-sized businesses. micro finance has been an effective tool of promoting enterprise and prosperity but we have to expand to small and medium-sized businesses as well. oftentimes too large for micro finance and too small for traditional banking. the aim of a much larger share of our aid must be the promotion of work and the fostering of free enterprise. nothing we can do as a nation

will change lives and nations more effectively and permanently than sharing the insighting that lies at the foundation of america's own economy. and that is that people pursuing happiness in their own weighs build a strong and prosperous nation. when i was in business, i traveled to a number of other countries. i was often struck by the vast difference in wealth among nations that were sometimes neighbors. some of that was, of course, due to geography, rich countries, often had natural resources like mineral deposits or access to waterways for transportation. but in some cases all seems to separate a rich country from a more poor one was a faint line on the map. countries that were physically right next door to each other, in some cases economically worlds apart. you think of north korea and south korea. i became convinced the critical difference between these

countries wasn't geography. i noticed that the most successful countries shared something in common. they were the freest. they protected the rights of individuals. they enforced the rule of law. they encouraged trade and enterprise. they understood that economic freedom is the only force in history that's consistent lifted people out of poverty and kept people out of poverty. look, a temporary aid package can give an economy a boost. it can fund projects and can pay bills and employ some people for a time. but it can sustain an economy. not for the long term. it can't pull the whole cart, if you will, because at some point the money runs out. but an assistance program that helps unleash free enterprise can create enduring prosperity. s free enterprise is based on mutual exchange or rather -- millions of exchanges. millions of people buying, trading, selling, building and investing. yeah. it has its ups and downs.

it isn't perfect. it is more reliable, however, and more durable. and ultimately history has shown it is more successful. by the way, perhaps the best example of the good that free enterprise do is by looking at the example on the developed world itself. my friend arthur brooks at the american enterprise institute pointed out that before the year 1800, living standards in the west were appalling. a person born in the 18th century lived as his great-great-great grandfather had. life was overwhelmed with disease and danger. and early death. starting in 1800 the west began to two centuries of free enterprise and trade. living standards rose. litation spread. health improved. and our own country between 1820 and 1998 real per capita gdp, real per capita gdp, increased

22fold. as the most prosperous nation in history, it is our duty to keep the engine of prosperity running to open markets across the globe and spread prosperity to all the corners of the earth. we should do it because it is the right moral course to help others of our brothers and sisters. but it is also economically the smart thing for us to do. export industries that typical job pays above what the capital workers make and other industries. more than one-third of manufacturing jobs in this country are tied to exports. sadly we lost over half a million manufacturing jobs over the last four years. as president i intend to reverse that trend by ensuring we have trade that works for america. i want the negotiate new trade agreements and ask congress to reinstate trade promotion authority. i want to complete negotiations expand the trans-pacific, any

nation willing to play by the rules by preand fair trade can participate in a new community committed to free and fair trade. i laid out a new approach for new era. i'm going to couple aid with trade and private investment and partnerships to empower individuals, encourage innovators, and reward entrepreneurs. today we face a world with unprecedented challenges and complexities and should not forget and cannot forget that not far from here a voice of unspeakable evil and hatred has spoken out. threatening israel and the entire civilized world. we come together knowing that the bitterness of hate is no match for the strength of love. and the weeks ahead, i will continue to speak to these challenges and the opportunities of this moment presents us, i go beyond foreign assistance and describe also what i believe

america's strategies should be to secure our interests and ideals during the uncertain time. a year from now i hope to return to this meeting as president. having made substantial progress towards achieving the reforms i outlined. but i also hope to remind the world of the goodness and the bigness of the american heart. i never apologized for america. i believe america has been one of the greatest importants for good the world has ever known. we can hold that knowledge in our hearts of humility and wavering conviction. god bless and you this great work and god bless my country and yours. thank you so very much. it is an honor to be with you. >> all right. governor romney wrapping up his speech before the clinton global initiative taking place in new york city. bill clinton's organization. he was speaking to an audience of global leaders, global business leaders. telling them of his plans, you know, in the case he is elected president of the united states.

former speechwriter for george w. bush and donald rumsfel he joins us now. as does cnn contributor and "newsweek" contributor, john avalon, he does it all. joins us, too. john, let's start with you. was mr. romney's speech more for an international global audience or domestic one? >> it was international audience. it was very strikingly a foreign policy speech focused on laying out his vision for foreign aid. governor romney produced something called the prosperity pa pact. it was a vision. governor romney hasn't always put forward specific policies beneath his campaign rhetoric. but this speech really did. it was geared toward international audience but laid out a specific vision for foreign aid. >> he said he wanted to work with private enterprise. you know, not government, right? he talked about micro finance and that's usually taken care of

by u.s. aid, government agency but mitt romney has a different vision. >> yes, he does. i think it was a as if mating speech. when i first saw what the subject of this speech was going to be, i was thinking why -- you know, five weeks or so before an election is he giving a speech on foreign aid. probably nothing has less support in the united states right now on -- left and right than foreign aid. i thought it was fascinating what he did here. the first thing he did is yesterday he spent a lot of time criticizing president obama's foreign policy in the middle east. today he laid out an autopsy alternative vision. talked about the challenges of radicalism in the region by helping the, you know, youth unemployment rate in these countries, drives people to radicalism, hopelessness and all of that. so i think -- i think he laid out today was the code of yesterday which was what is my vision for this region. the second thing is that there -- was subtle attack to his domestic agenda. he told the story of the young man in tunisia who sparked the arab spring. he said that the officials were

bothering him and slapping him. he said all i want to do is work. and that's true across the middle east. that's also true across the united states. all peel want to do is work. unemployment rate is above 8% important 43 months. people want to work here. he gave a very eloquent speech about the power of free enterprise and he was talking about foreign aid and how aid can only help created jobs for a certain amount of time but the money runs out. that's a very subtle but effective critique of the stimulus. obama is -- domestic agenda. i think he was talking -- delivering a very eloquent defense about how his domestic and foreign policies arer and twined good he also touched on iran. he didn't mention iran by name. he talked of an unspeakable evil. inpound th i found that ain't. >> marc makes a great point in the way this speech while being about foreign aid, goals governor romney set out.

iran has been one of the consistent themes he hit on foreign policy since early days of his campaign. this has been a core critique, core pitch. not only to consolidate his base but to try to say the president failed because iran continues to make progress towards the nuclear bomb. i think the key part of this speech, it was not a saber-rattling speech. it was an alternate vision connecting foreign aid to economic liberalization. to that extent it hit a lot of the themes and including governor romney's obviously very heartfelt fill philosophical belief abroad and home. >> how did mr. romney's speech go over? >> carol, i can tell you that the joke he opened up with at this event went over very well with the crowd. we don't hear mitt romney telling a lot of jokes on the campaign trail. he opened up with that remark

that, you know, being introduced by bill clinton can do a man a whole lot of good, referenced on the democratic convention. bill clinton's speech there on behalf of president obama and went on to say that he can expect a bounce my day now. that went over very well. this was a serious speech. this is not the speech you see mitt romney give on the campaign trail in terms of going -- really to a nonpartisan message. not only to people in the united states but around the world. and he -- unveiled what he described as prosperity packs which is a window inside his ideas for foreign aid in a future romney administration, as you heard john say a few moments ago. mitt romney would tie some of that foreign aid, foreign assistance, to opening it up trade barriers in countries across the world. that was some of what he talked about. will was also some politics involved in this speech as well. he mentioned manufacturing jobs have gone down and n the last few years. that was a dig at the president. he talked about some of the

recent problems on the world stage. the assassination of the u.s. ambassador to libya. chris stevens. that was mentioned in the speech. then at the end it was striking. he went right after the leader of iran, ahmadinejad, saying at -- calling him basically a voice of unspeakable evil in the world and someone that's threatening the state of israel. that's something that fits neatly into mitt romney's foreign policy work on the campaign trail. he talks about iran all the time. he did not let that opportunity go by today. >> i know. reminded me of that evil empire thing. you know what i'm talking about. jiacosta reporting live for us. thank you so much. marc, john, thank you to both of you. we will take a quick break and more on the nfl and replacement refs and the trouble ahead. [ male announcer ] when a major hospital

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the dow is up 20 points. bumpy ride on wall street today. stocks are expected to have a mixed day because of europe's continuing debt crisis. former british prime minister gordon brown rang the opening bell. now to some breaking news on

home prices. sit back. they are at their best level in nine years. that's according to a new roar just out. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. okay. we are excited to hear this. >> you know, more and more good news in the housing market. the price of a typical home went up again in july. this report coming from case-schiller saying home values in 2070s across the country rose 1.6%. this happens to be the third month in a row of gains. this is good news in the housing sector. it was the housing sector that got us into the financial mess so it is nice to see a recovery really taking hold. also, there is a -- positive side effect of this these rising home prices falling foreclosures. becau more quit. this may push potential home buyers off the fence. see the prices going higher and think i better buy a house soon before the prices go even higher. >> okay.

also some good news for discover card holders. they are going to get some money. >> some money, exactly. what happened here is discover's telemarketers made people think that they were getting certain products for prewhen they weren't. these are known add-ones. you can buy these add-ones when you open a credit card and you can get -- identity theft protection, credit score tracking, that kind of thing. what the consumer financial protection bureau did, they actually listened in on a bunch of recording sales calls and they found that the discover reps spoke unusually fast when explaining the cost and product terms to these consumers. isn't that funny? pulling the wool over. so regulators say discover's telemarketing reps complied the consumers wouldn't be charged when there is a fee attached. sometimes they processed and charged the consumers for the add-ones and the customer never agreed to them in first place. discover says for its part say

they will stop the deceptive sales tactics and pay $14 million to regulators on top of these customer refunds. >> when customer gets the refund and get the refund really fast? >> $57 a person. >> what a weird tactic. >> but it worked. i'm sorry. >> that's okay. yeah. the average refund a person is going to get is about $57. if you still got your discover card it will be crited to your account. if you done away with your discover card they will send you a check. these refunds will be going out at the beginning of next year. >> all right. alison kosik, many thanks to you. calls heard around the sports world. final play of the seahawks/packers game angers many, many nfl players and fans. we will talk about what is next. [ male announcer ] how do you trade?

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♪ history of monday might football, there has never been a final play game-winning touchdown until last night. unfortunately for nfl fans, the thrilling feat has been overshadowed by the most controversial call yet by this season's replacement refs. have you seen it by now. seattle quarterback russell wilson launches a hail mary pass and seahawks receiver tate, jennings, fight for the ball in the end zone. one official signals touchdown. the other, time-out. and an indication he would call a touchback by interception. replays appear to show tate pushing off and jennings holding the ball to his chest. the refs awarded the touchdown and the game to the seahawks. >> did you push off? >> i don't know what you are talking about. i don't know what you are

talking about. >> the fact it that was revie d reviewed, awful. that's all i'm going to say about it. >> oh, but other packer players were not so reticent. t.j. lang tweeted blank it nfl. fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs. frank gore had an outrageous tweet. quote, who's worse? the dude that directed the anti-muslim movie or roger goode goodell? i think old roger, end quote. wow. let's talk to npr sports correspondent mike peska. hi, mike. >> health go what did you thi--. what did you think of that tweet? >> i think he's wrong, but it is the outrage occurring throughout the league. >> let's talk about what is next. what does roger goodell do now? >> where the nfl replacement

refs went from farce to shame. it has gone too far. that is a pretty uniform opinion except among the 32 people who matcher are the nfl owners. really 31 because green bay packers collectively owned. that's an irony. one team most hurt by the refer. it may be that every commentator in the world can go crazy and say this was an awful call and it certainly was an awful call, but that might not sway the owners. >> what will sway the owners? will it take someone getting hurt? that appears to be the way it's going. >> well, it might. it would be somewhat hard to draw a direct line between referee incompetence and injury. here is the scenario. i agree with, i think, the general consensus that it's a $9.5 billion game over about $3 million, maybe $6 million in a pension dispute. you're jeopardizing the whole game. however, there is a school of thought that says the owners do not want to negotiate with the

referees because they want to show that they have backbone. they want to stand up to the referees for the next time they negotiate with the players where the real money is at stake. and it wouldn't really show that they're implacable, that they will never bend if even after this they say no way, we're not compromising at all. >> so they're using these refs, who make relatively little money in comparison to what the players do, as an example? some people might call that crass. >> yeah. well, you know, i don't know if they're really using it as an example. it's possibly a negotiating ploy, but if you look at the numbers, like i said, nfl's almost a $10 billion enterprise. they play 267 games a year up through the super bowl. that means on average if you parcel is out for every game, $40 million a game is what's generated by the nfl. we're talking about the teams spending, you know, a couple hundred thousand dollars to get the regular refs back. >> okay. >> from a business perspective

is doesn't make that much sense. >> okay. let's take it from the other way. the players are angry, and they're saying owners, you got to do something and get these replacement refs off the field but if the players would stop playing for just one game, those refs would be back on the field, don't you think? why don't the players put their money where their mouth is? >> because it's a lot of money, and that's never happened in the history of pro sports. there are umpire and referee disputes and there's just no crossing of that picket line. i mean, there's always crossing of that picket line. that never happens where the players actually take off a game. perhaps a symbolic gesture, one play where at the beginning of the next week's game every quarterback takes a knee on the first play or something to really signal their displeasure. that maybe is thinking -- i'm not going to say farcically.

tweeting is one thing but they could do -- conduct a couple action that is would underline their displeasure. >> mike pesca from npr sports, thank you for sharing your thoughts. we appreciate it. we'll be back with much more. thanks, mike.

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56 minutes past the hour. checking our top stories. today is the deadline for todd akin to drop out of the u.s. senate race but the embattled missouri congressman insists he's in it to stay. republicans urged akin to step aside after he spoke of, quote, a legitimate rain, saying the female body has ways to try to stop an unwanted pregnancy. banks are smacking customers with a one-two punch.

bank rate.com reports atm fees have hit record levels while the percentage of free checking accounts is dropping. on average the fees you're charged from your bage and another bank for using the atm is up $4 a pop. you're looking at a live picture of the united nations general assembly. the president, president obama, plans to speak about the violent protests of that anti-islam trailer saying there is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. that's expected to start in about 15 minutes. we'll have live coverage of president obama's address when "newsroom" continues after this quick break. we've all had those moments.

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stories we're watching right now in the "newsroom." live to the united nations. president obama getting ready for a global address in just a few minutes. he'll speak to delegates and fellow world leaders at the united nations. at the top of his mind, the rising violence in the middle east. monday night debacle. a lot of upset football fans after the seahawks get a controversial win over the green bay packers. did the replace amecement refs this touchdown call right? lynyrd skynyrd known for using the confederate flag during their concerts. they might be changing their tune again. and it's one of the most important tools for a young mind a proper lunch. but now complaints are growing. does michelle obama's initiative

give students enough to eat at school? "newsroom" starts now. good morning. thank you so much for being with us. i'm carol costello. we begin this hour with president obama about to face two very different audiences. just minutes from now the president will address the united nations general assembly, but it's not just world leaders who will be listening to his speech about foreign policy. american voters may also tune in to his comments amid a spike in international hot spots. the latest from iran, they have reportedly test fired anti-ship missiles in the waters off its southern coast. it's possibly troubling for several reasons. according to an iranian news agency, the drill was close to u.s. led naval exercises in the persian gulf. the test comes amid spiking tensions with israel and mutual threats of military action, and it comes on a day when both

presidenobama and the republican nominee, mitt romney, deliver key speeches on u.s. foreign policy. as i said, mr. obama is about to speak momentarily. mr. romney spoke in the last hour. we are covering the president's address to the united nations from every angle. jessica yellin is standing by and christopher hill is with us from denver for a closer look at the speech and middle east policy and cnn contribute john avlon will help us sort out the political impact of the president's message to the united nations. let's start with you, jessica. so far the president is being criticized for not meeting with any global leaders during this trip. last year president obama held 13 bilateral meetings. this year, zero. can we expect anything from the president's speech to turn around that criticism? >> reporter: well,e's not going to address anything regarding his meetings in the speech, but he will take on,

carol, head on the issue of ambassador stevens' death in libya, and that is one of the topics that the romney campaign in particular has gone after him over accusing the obama team of minimizing the death in part for his interview over the weekend. the president will say in the speech that this is an attack on u.s. and u.n. values. he will also say that, i'm quoting here, we must reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like chris stevens and not by his killers, that this violence and intolerance has no place among our united nations, and he names the video. he says there are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. there is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. now, in the context of politics, you understand here that he's saying this is clearly more than a bump in the road to him. he calls this an actual crisis, but, carol, yes, worth pointing out, when president bush was running for re-election in 2004,

to your earlier point, he sat down with almost a half dozen leaders for bilateral meetings, and as you point out, president obama, zero. >> okay. i just want to mention, jessica, that the woman speaking before the united nations general assembly right now is the president of brazil, just so viewers know who she is. president obama is expected to speak in just about seven minutes. ambassador hill, i'd like you to address the fact that president obama mentions ambassador chris stevens many times in his speech. what is he trying to get across to this international audience? >> well, first of all, i think you correctly pointed out this is to an international audience, but it's also to a domestic u.s. audience. i mean, this is quite a donnybrook of a campaign, so i think he does have to speak to the american people. but i think to both audiences, he is really pointing out that america has gone into this region with a sense of good will, that chris stevens was an

example of really the finest we have to offer in terms of diplomacy, and i think he wants to make it clear to that international audience that we will continue to be a positive force to do all we can to help that region, but i think to the american audience he's also going to deflect some of the criticism given actually just a few hours before when governor romney spoke last night. you know, it used to be said that american politics stops at the water's edge. well, that's a very quaint thought these days. >> john avlon, i'd like to ask you this question. president obama is going to, of course, talk about chris stevens a lot, as we said. he's going to talk about that attack on the consulate in libya, but he's going to say that attack was not just an attack on the u.s. consulate but on consulates and embassies around the world, all foreign embassies. >> yes, that's right. from what we know from the prepared text. look, fist fer hill makes an

important point, this comes at not only a tumultuous point but during a presidential campaign. all eyes are on this speech to see him establish a vision of strong leadership. he's going to have to address all the specific issues. and there's something more, beyond the death of our ambassador in libya, beyond even the prospect of stopping iran from achieving a nuclear bomb. a lot of people are going to be listening to see if he affirms america's commitment to freedom of speech and tries to make that point, not only saying no video justifies violence, but really affirming this principle for a foreign audience. that will be something a lot of people have called for and it will be interesting to see if he addresses directly in his speech. >> i think jessica yellin has some information about that. let's head back to new york and the united nations. we just saw president obama enter the room. jessica, what will the president say about this anti-muslim film that's caused so many problems around the world?

>> reporter: well, he does address it in these words where he says, there are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. there is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. he also attributes -- he calls -- he says -- essentially he says we're at a point of inflection after the arab spring and this is the time for the world community to make a choice. do we stand, the world, with the people who killed ambassador stevens, and he identifies them as voices of intolerance, or with the values that ambassador stevens embraced, and he calls for the world to rally around the values that ambassador stevens embraced, and essentially says that the u.s. will remain committed and engaged around the world. so it seems that he is artfully avoiding engaging in some of these more hot button linguistic

terms. we only have excpts so we don't know if it's actually in the speech, but he is essentially espousing those values while saying that the u.s. will remain engaged in places like libya and in the arab world. >> ambassador hill, i'm sure the president will mention iran. governor romney mentioned iran in his speech about an hour ago. he called it the voice of unspeakable evil. what might president obama say about iran? >> well, i think the president will try to walk a very thin line. on the one hand, he doesn't want to be excessively optimistic about the diplomatic or even the sanctions track. on the other hand, he doesn't want to start with the war drum beat. so i think he's going to be very careful there. i think he's going to talk about that there's still time, but i don't think he's going to describe that time as very long. and at the same time i think he wants to make it clear to the iranians they have to get serious about this diplomatic process.

>> not too long ago, earlier today, iran fired off a missile test in the persian gulf. should we read anything into that, ambassador? >> well, you know, often these missile tests, i mean, i used to go through this with the north koreans. they would be weeks in the making, so often it has to do with a military testing schedule that has little to do with politics. on the other hand, the final decision to press a button may have something to do with politics, and certainly with the president speaking and the u.n. general assembly getting under way, the iranians might have in mind a message. avlon, you're a independent. i just wondered since voters will also be listening to this speech, what do you think the president has to say on the issue of iran and on america's policies in the middle east? >> sure. the president has scored very strong approval ratings on foreign policy, in part because he wound down the war in iraq which was polarizing and

unpopular, and also obviously because of the death of osama bin laden. but i think this is a moment for american leadership, and the president is going to have to strongly articulate a commitment not only to the state of israel, but i think also to ensuring that iran will not achieve a nuclear weapon which the advanced copies of the text indicates he will say strongly, but it's about very much about arguing strongly for american leadership abroad and propelling a specific vision for what america can do at this inflection point in the arab spring. it's going to be all about strength. yesterday he went to the view. he didn't meet with the other leaders. he is in campaign mode and there's a certain damage control trying no not to make any mistakes, but he is the president of the united states, and this is a time to really use that bully pulpit on the international stage to send a message to independent voters and those undecideds who are left that he has a clear vision or how america can conduct itself in this very chaotic time in foreign policy in the middle east especially. >> john avlon, ambassador hill, jessica yellin, stand by, we're

awaiting president obama to deliver remarks to the general assembly of the united nations. we're going to take a quick break and we'll be back with much more. ♪

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all right. as you can see, the brazilian president continuing her remarks before the united nations general assembly. president obama expected to take the podium soon after. when the president begins speaking we'll take you back to new york city and the united nations. 13 minutes past the hour now. let's check our top stories. mitt romney talking foreign policy today. he wrapped up a speech to the clinton global initiative just in the last hour. in that speech he laid out a specific plan that deals with the distribution of foreign aid. >> the aim of a much larger share of our aid must be the promotion of work and the fostering of free enterprise. nothing we can do as a nation will change lives and nations more effectively and permanently than sharing the insight that lies at the foundation of america's own economy, and that is that free people pursuing happiness in their own ways build a strong and prosperous

nation. >> president obama will address that same group just after noon eastern today. of course, after he makes his reremarks before the united nations. monday night madness. football fans talking about last night's game which was decided on a very controversial touchdown call. replacement refs say seahawks receiver golden tate and packers jennings both came down with the ball. tate was awarded the touchdown. there's been a huge social media uproar against the call. seattle wins the game. google's stock is on the rise again. shares of the social media giant closed at an all-time high at just under $750. shares of google are up 16% this year thanks to its android software for smartphone and tablets. check this out, truck hanging off the side of a bridge in brazil. happened friday. investigators say the driver lost control of his truck when the car in front of him suddenly stopped. truck's back end dangled over the water. thankfully the driver was not

hurt. if you've been thinking about getting an electric car, listen up. general motors is slashing the price of the shevy volt by up to $10,000. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. this is the most controversial car ever i think. >> i know. but you know what? nothing like a discount to get people to just pour in and buy the vehicle, right? it turns out that sales of the chevy volt set a monthly record in august. 2,800 volts were sold because of the massive discounts. true car.com says the discounts ran as high as $10,000 a car. the sticker price is about $40,000. one thing that true car.com is saying is these generous discounts i'm talking about, they may not be sticking around. still, you may find some pretty good deal was leases. some dealerships are offering a two-year month at $169 a month down from $275. it can go 25 miles on its battery and electric motor

before a gas engine kicks in. rather all the hype and fan tear when gm launched it? the harsh reality is sales have really been slow. only 7,700 of these things were sold last year, missing gm's goal of 10,000. even safety regulators, they've raised concerns about the volt's battery, that it could catch fire in a crash. but the car sales in august suggest americans will buy if you price it low enough. hint, hint. carol? >> exactly. hey, if the price is right, we'll buy anything. >> exactly. >> how much money has gm lost on this car? >> and that really is the money question, isn't it? guess what? gm has never told us the exact amount it's losing, but reuters came out recently and estimated that gm is losing up to $49,000 a car. gm denies that report, but, come on, let's face it, electric cars have a long way to go before they can really catch on with the public and become profitable. electric and gas electric hybrids are just 3.5% of u.s. auto sales. that's not really a big portion of auto sales.

you know, cost is really an obstacle with these. hybrids and electric cars, they tend to be expensive because of all the high-end technology in them. infrastructure can be another problem, especially for pure electric cars. you know, there just aren't many charging stations for them either. you build them, they will come. i think they will come if you lower the price. carol? >> alison kosik, spoken like a true business whiz that you are. thanks so much. we're going to take you back to the united nations and the pending speech by president obama. we'll be back. rict. the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. the secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. and while i make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone. [ candidate ] and thanks to every young face i see out there. [ woman ] his phone is one of his biggest supporters. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... working together has never worked so well. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... ♪ chirping

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all right. we understand president obama is just about to be introduced. our jessica yellin is standing by live at the united nations. jessica -- here is the president, jessica. let's listen. >> mr. president, mr. secretary-general, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen, i would like to begin today by telling you about an american named chris stevens. chris was born in a town called grass valley, california h the

s son of a lawyer and a musician. as a young man chris joined the peace corps and taught english in morocco, and he came to love and respect the people of north africa and the middle east. he would carry that commitment throughout his life. as a diplomat he worked from egypt to syria, from saudi arabia to libya. he was known for walking the streets of the cities where he worked, tasting the local food, meeting as many people as he could, speaking arabic, listening with a broad smile. chris went to benghazi in the early days of the libyan revolution arriving on a cargo ship. as america's representative, he helped the libyan people as they coped with violent conflict, cared for the wounded, and crafted a vision for the future in which the rights of all

libyans would be respected. and after the revolution he supported the birth of a new democracy as libyans held elections and built new institutions and began to move forward after decades of li dictatorship. chris stevens loved his work. he took pride in the country he served, and he saw dignity in the people that he met. and two weeks ago he traveled to benghazi to review plans to establish a new cultural center and modernize a hospital. that's when america's compound came under attack. along with three of his colleagues, chris was killed in the city he helped to save. he was 52 years old. i tell you this story because chris stevens embodied the best of america.

like his fellow foreign service officers, he built bridges across oceans and cultures and was deeply invested in the international cooperation that the united nations represents. he acted with humility, but he also stood up for a set of principles, a belief that individuals should be free to determine their own destiny and live with liberty, dignity, justice, and opportunity. the attacks on the civilians in benghazi were attacks on america. we are grateful for the assistance we received from the libyan government and from the libyan people. there should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice. and i also appreciate that in recent days the leaders of other countries in the region, including egypt, tunisia, and

yemen, have taken steps to secure our diplomatic facilities and called for calm. and so have religious authorities around the globe. but understand the attacks of the last two weeks are not simply an assault on america. they are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the united nations was founded. the notion that people can resolve their differences peacefully, that diplomacy can take the place of war, that in an interdependent world all of us have a stake in working towards greater opportunity and security for our citizens. if we are serious about upholding these ideals, it will not be enough to put more guards in front of an embassy or to put out statements of regret and wait for the outrage to pass. if we are serious about these

ideals, we must speak honestly about the deeper causes of the crisis because we face a choice between the forces that would drive us apart and the hopes that we hold in common. today we must reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like chris stevens and not by his killers. today we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our united nations. it's been less than two years since a vendor in tunisia set himself on fire to protest the oppressive corruption in his country and sparked what became known as the arab spring. and since then the world has been captivated by the transformation that's taken place, and the united states has supported the forces of change. we were inspired by the tunisian

protests that toppled a dictator because we recognized our own beliefs in the aspiration of men and women who took to the streets. we insisted on change in egypt because our support for democracy ultimately put us on the side of the people. we supported a transition of leadership in yemen because the interests of the people were no longer being served by a corrupt status quo. we intervened in libya alongside a broad coalition and with the mandate of the united nations security council because we had the ability to stop the slaughter of innocents and because we believed that the aspirations of the people were more powerful than a tyrant, and as we meet her, we again declare that the regime of bashar al assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the syrian people can stop and a new dawn can begin. we have taken these positions

because we believe that freedom and self-determination are not unique to one culture. these are not simply american values or western values. they are universal values. and even as there will be huge challenges to come with the transition to democracy, i am convinced that ultimately government of the people, by the people, and for the people is more likely to bring about the stability, prosperity and individual opportunity that serve as a basis for peace in our world. so let us remember that this is a season of progress. for the first time in decades, tu neshians, egyptians, and libyans voted for new leaders in elections that were credible, competitive, and fair. this democratic spirit has not been restricted to the arab world. over the pars year we'st year w peaceful transitions of power.

in burma a president has freed political prisoners and opened a closed society. a courageous dissident has been elected to parliament, and people look forward to further reform. around the globe people are making their voices heard insisting on their innate dignity and the right to determine their future. and yet the turmoil of recent weeks reminds us that the path to democracy does not end with the casting of a ballot. nelson mandela once said, to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. [ applause ] true democracy demands that citizens cannot be thrown in jail because of what they

believe, and that businesses can be opened without paying a bribe. it depends on the freedom of citizens to speak their minds and assemble without fear, and on the rule of law and due process that guarantees the rights of all people. in other words, true democracy, real freedom is hard work. those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on dissiden dissidents. in hard economic times, countries must be tempt -- may be tempted to rally the people around perceived enemies at home and abroad rather than focusing on the painstaking work of reform. moreover, there will always be those that reject human progress. dictators who cling to power. corrupt interests that depend on the status quo, and extremists who fan the flames ofate and

division. from northern ireland to south asia, from africa to the americas, from the balkans to the pacific rim, we have witnessed convulsions that can accompany transitions to a new political order. at times the conflicts arise along the fault lines of race or tribe, and often they arise from the difficulties of reconciling tradition and faith with the diversity and interdependence of the modern world. in every country there are those who find different religious beliefs threatening, in every culture. those who love freedom for themselves must ask themselves how much are they willing to tolerate freedom for others? that is what we saw play out in the last two weeks as a crude and disgusting video sparked

outrage throughout the muslim world. i have made it clear that the united states government had nothing to do with this video, and i believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity. it is an insult not only to muslims, but to america as well for as the city outside these walls makes clear, we are a country that has welcomed people of every race and every faith. we are home to muslims who worship across our country. we not only respect the freedom of religion, we have laws that protect individuals from being harmed because of how they look or what they believe. we understand why people take offense to this video because millions of our citizens are among them. i know there's some who ask why don't we just ban such a video? and the answer is enshred in our laws. our constitution protects the right to practice free speech.

here in the united states countless publications provoke offense. like me, the majority of americans are christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs. as president of our country and commander in chief of our military, i accept that people are going to call me awful things every day, and i will always defend their right to do so. [ applause ] americans have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their views, even views that we profoundly disagree with. we do not do so because we support hateful speech, but because our founders understood that without such protections, capacity of each individual to express their own views and

practice their own faith may be threatened. we do so because in a diverse society efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a tool to silence critics and oppress minorities. we do so because given the power of faith in our lives and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression. it is more speech. the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect. now, i know that not all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the protection of free speech. we recognize that. but in 2012 at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with a click of a

button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. and the question then is how do we respond? and on this we must agree, there is no speech that justifies mindless violence. [ applause ] there are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. there's no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. there's no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in lebanon or destroy a school in tunis or cause death and destruction in pakistan. in this modern world with modern technologies, for us to respond in that way to hateful speech empowers any individual who engages in such speech to create chaos around the world.

we empower the worst of us if that's how we respond. more broadly, the events of the last two weeks also speak to the need for all of us to honestly address the tensions between the west and the arab world that is moving towards democracy. let me be clear, just as we cannot solve every problem in the world, the united states has not and will not seek to dictate the outcome of democratic transitions abroad. we do not expect other nations to agree with us on every issue. nor do we assume that the violence of the past weeks or the hateful speech by some individuals represent the views of the overwhelming majority of muslims any more than the views of the people who produced this video represents those of americans. however, i do believe that it is the obligation of all leaders in

all countries to speak out forcefully against violence and extremism. [ applause ] it is time to marginalize those who, even when not directly resorting to violence, use hatred of america or the west or israel as the central organizing principle of politics. for that only gives cover and sometimes makes an excuse for those who do resort to violence. that brand of politics, one that pits east against west and south against north, muslims against christians and hindu and jews, can't deliver on the promise of freedom. to the youth, it offers only false hope. burning an american flag does nothing to provide a child an education.

smashing apart a restaurant does not fill an empty stomach. attacking an embassy won't create a single job. that brand of politics only make it is harder to achieve what we must do together, educating our children and creating the opportunities that they deserve, protecting human rights and extending democracy's promise. understand, america will never retreat from the world. we will bring justice to those who harm our citizens and our friends, and we will stand with our allies. we are willing to partner with countries around the world to deepen ties of trade and investment and science and technology, energy and development, all efforts that can spark economic growth for all our people and stabilize democratic change. but such efforts depend on a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect. no government or company, no

school or ngo will be confident working in a country where its people are endangered. for partnerships to be effective, our citizens must be secure, and our efforts must be welcomed. a politics based only on anger, one based on dividing the world between us and them not only sets back international cooperation, it ultimately undermines those who tolerate it. all of us have an interest in standing up to these forces. let us remember that muslims have suffered the most at the hands of extremism. on the same day our civilians were killed in benghazi, a turkish police officer was murdered in istanbul only days before his wedding. more than ten yemenis were killed in a car bomb. several afghan children were mourned by their parents just days after they were killed by a

suicide bomber in kabul. the impulse towards intolerance and violence may initially be focused on the west, but over time it cannot be contained. the same impulses towards extremism are used to justify war between sunni and shia, between tribes and clans. at least not to strength and prosperity, but to chaos. in less than two years we have seen largely peaceful protests bring more change to muslim majority countries than a decade of violence. extremists understand this because they have nothing to offer to improve the lives of people. violence is their only way to stay relevant. they don't build. they only destroy. it is time to leave the call of violence and the politics of division behind.

on so many issues we face a choice between the promise of the future or the prisons of the past, and we cannot afford to get it wrong. we must seize this moment, and america stands ready to work with all who are willing to embrace a better future. the future must not belong to those who target coptic christians in egypt. it must be claimed by those in tahrir scare who chanted, muslims, christians, we are one. the future must not belong to those who bully women. it must be shaped by girls who go to school and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons. [ applause ] the future must not belong to those corrupt few who steal a country's resources, it must be won by the students and entrepreneurs, the workers and

business owners who seek a broader prosperity for all people. those are the women and men that america stands with. theirs is the vision we will support. the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of islam, but to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of jesus christ that are desecrated or churches that are destroyed or the holocaust that is denied. [ applause ] let us condemn incitement against sufi muslims and shia pilgrims. it's time to heed the words of gandhi, intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit. [ applause ] together we must work towards a

world where we are strengthened by our differences and not defined by them. that is what america embodies. that's the vision we will support. among israelis and palestinians, the future must not belong to those who turn their backs on the prospect of peace. let us leave behind those who thrive on conflict, those who reject the right of israel to exist. the road is hard, but the destination is clear, a secure, jewish state of israel and an independent, prosperous palestine. [ applause ] understanding that such a peace must come through a just agreement between the parties, america will walk alongside all who are prepared to make that journey. in syria the future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people. if there is a cause that cries out for protest in the world

today, peaceful protest, it is a regime that tortures children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings. and we must remain engaged to assure that what begin with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of sectarian violence. together we must stand with those syrians who believe in a different vision, a syria that is united and inclusive, where children don't need to fear their own government and all syrians have a say in how they're governed, sunnis, kurds, and christians. that's what america stands for. that's the outcome we will work for with sanctions for those who persecute and assistance and support for those who work for this common good. because we believe that the syrians who embrace this vision will have the strength and the legitimacy to lead. in iran we see where the path of a violent and unaccountable

ideology leads. the iranian people have a remarkable and ancient history, and many iranians wish to enjoy peace and prosperity alongside their neighbors, but just as it restricts the rights of its own people, the iranian government continues to prop up a dictator in damascus and supports terrorist groups abroad. time and again it has failed to take the opportunity to demonstrate that its nuclear program is peaceful and to meet its obligations to the uted nations. so let me be clear, america wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe there is still time and space to do so, but that time is not unlimited. we respect the right of nations to access peaceful nuclear power, but one of the purposes of the united nations is to see that we harness that power for peace. make no mistakes, a nuclear an

armed iran is not can be contained. it would threaten the elimination of israel, the security of gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy. it risks triggering a nuclear arms race in the region and the unraveling of the nonproliferation treaty. that's why a coalition of countries is holding the iranian government accountable and that's why the united states will do what we must to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. we know from painful experience that the path to security and prosperity does not lie outside the boundaries of international law and respect for human rights. that's why this institution was established from the rubble of conflict. that is why liberty triumphed over tierney in the cold war and that's the lessons of the last two decades as well. history show that is peace and progress come to those who make the right choices.

nations in every part of the world have traveled this difficult path. europe, the bloodiest ttlefield of the 20th century, is united, free, and at peace. from brazil, people have lifted millions out of poverty while respecting the rights of their citizens and meeting their responsibilities as nations. and it is because of the progress that i have witnessed in my own lifetime, the progress that i have witnessed after nearly four years as president, that i remain ever hopefulabout the world that we live in. the war in iraq is over. american troops have come home. we've begun a transition in afghanistan, and america and our allies will end our war on

schedule in 2014. al qaeda has been weakened and osama bin laden is no more. nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials and america and russia are reducing our arsenals. we have seen hard choices made from cairo to put more power in the hands of citizens. at a time of economic challenge, the world has come together to broaden prosperity. through the g-20 we have partnered with emerging countries to keep the world on the path of recovery. america's pursuit and development agenda that fuels growth and breaks dependency and worked with african leaders to help them feed their nations. new partnerships have been forged to combat corruption and promote government that is open and transparent and new commitments have been made through the equal futures partnership to ensure that women

and girls can fully participate in politics and pursue opportunity. and later today i will discuss our efforts to combat the scourge of human trafficking. all these things give me hope, but what gives me the most hope is not the actions of us, not the actions of leaders. it is the people that i have se seen. the american troops who have risked their lives and sacrificed their limbs for strangers half a world away. the students in jakarta or seoul what are eager to use their knowledge to benefit mankind. the faces in the square in prag or a parliament in ghana who see democracy giving voice to their aspirations. the young people in the schools of mumbai whose eyes shine with promise. these men, women, and children of every race and every faith remind me that for every angry mob that gets shown on television, there are billions

around the world who share similar hopes and dreams. they tell us that there is a common heartbeat to humanity. so much attention in our world turns to what divides us. that's what we see on the news. that's what consumes our political debates. but when you strip it all away, people everywhere long for the freedom to determine their destiny, the dignity that mes with work, the comfort that comes with faith, and the justice that exists when governments serve their people and not the other way around. the united states of america will always stand up for these aspirations for our own people and for people all across the world. that was our founding purpose. that is what our history shows. that is what chris stevens

worked for throughout his life, and i promise you this, long after the killers are brought to justice, chris stevens' legacy will live on in the lives that he touched, in the tens of thousands who marched against violence through the streets of benghazi, in the libyans who changed their facebook photo to one of chris, in the signs that read simply, chris stevens was a friend to all libyans. they should give us hope. they shoud remind us that so long as we work for it, justice will be done, that history is on our side, and that a rising tide of liberty will never be reve e reversed. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> president obama wrapping up his remarks to the general assembly at the united nations. our chief white house correspondent jessica yellin has been listening to the speech and, jessica, i wonder, is the president's speech enough to

silence his critics? >> reporter: his critics in a campaign season will endlessly come at him, so no doubt this will not silence them, but i do think there was a point in that speech where he did manage to strike that careful balance where he spoke both to a global community about -- on the topic of libya about the -- how offended the u.s. was and how offended he was by the video, that it does not represent american values, that the u.s. is a place that embraces diversity and diversity of religion is part of what founded this nation, but then he made a turn and explained to the global community that this is also a nation in which freedom of speech is enshrined in our identity, and even he accept that is he is criticized on a daily basis and serves as president to protect that value. so this is one of those rhetorical moments in the speech

where he was able to articulate american values in a way that can reflect well here in the u.s. and abroad. i think that he will be criticized no doubt for language he didn't use on iran or some people think he should have. he did mention syria, so that box is checked. not a lot on some other topics. so, you know, he'll take his fire, but that was a key moment of the speech. >> i'm sure. ambassador chris hill is here, former ambassador to iraq. i just want to play a part of the president's speech that struck me, when he was talking to the audience about the violence in countries throughout the middle east over this anti-islam film. let's listen to president obama, then i'll ask you about it. >> the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of islam, but to be credible those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of jesus christ that are desecrated or churches that are destroyed or the holocaust

that is denied. [ applause ] >> so ambassador hill, does this sort of thing resonate with the middle east audience? >> oh, i think so. i think what we saw was the president, first of all, i think very well, brilliantly really, represented u.s. interests, a combination of real toughness but a resolve and faith with our values. but he was also very much speaking as an international statesman, and i think the most poi poignant parts of the speech were the ones you cited. the fact he was reaching out to audiences in the middle east, pointing out there are billions of people who are not shown on television rioting every day but rather are doing things to create a better world community. so i think we really saw our u.s. president rise to the occasion and really rise to the role of international statesman in this speech. joosk, john avlon, we can never forget we're in the middle of a

presidential election. republicans have been criticizing the president for weak leadership in the middle east. did this speech show strong leadership? >> i think it did. this was a speech that was very much about a statement of principle. it was a vision speech and the president addressed not only all the things that are going on in the world from libya to syria but by framing the speech with a tribute to ambassador stevens he lead out a vision of american principles that can resonate around the globe. i think this is one of those speeches that could last because he did delineate the conflicts around the world as one being between those who would build and knows who would destroy. the people who use hate and division to try to define humanity. in that case it was a larger rallying cry that could resonate beyond our own election across borders. it was a strong speech by the president. >> ambassador, i just want to ask you one more question, i mean, the president did talk about iran, but he didn't dwell on it. most of his speech had to do with this anti-islam film and libya and events in the larger

middle east. did that surprise you? >> no, it didn't actually. i think he laid out very clearly his preference for diplomacy, but his observation that it won't last forever. and i think he made a very important point which is we're not looking to contain the iran nuclear issue. we're looking to end the iran nuclear issue. so i think it's very much consistent with his views. i mean, often in u.s. audiences as he has talked about the fact that, you know, everything is on the table, but i think in a speech like this, which he is really kind of laying claim to this kind of global statesmanship, i think he didn't want to get into some of those issues that are more really for american domestic audiences, but i don't think anyone listening to that speech would have been left with the impression that this is a person without resolve for dealing with iran. he very much made it clear. >> yeah, and i ask you that in light of, you know, governor romney gave his speech before the clinton global initiative in

the last hour. he intimated that iran was the voice of unspeakable evil and there was a contrast there. so i'm sure that this will be parsed throughout the day. thank you so much for being with us, ambassador, and also john avlon and jessica yellin, our chief white house correspondent. thanks to all of you for participating. i'm carol costello. thank you for joining me today. cnn "newsroom" with ashleigh n banfield continues after a quick break. with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge!

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